


such a shame for us to part

by waldorph



Series: 2012-2013 Winter Anthology [2]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Blanket Permission, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-26
Updated: 2012-12-26
Packaged: 2017-11-22 11:24:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/609295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waldorph/pseuds/waldorph
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim's been offered a promotion to Admiral.</p>
            </blockquote>





	such a shame for us to part

**Author's Note:**

> for **ate** , who wanted a k/s pre-slash fic based on "The Scientist" by Coldplay.

They offer him Admiral at the end of his second tour. Admiral. It's not really a surprise, considering he was Captain of the Fleet's flagship three years after starting at the Academy. It makes sense he'd be an admiral ten years after that. At thirty-three. That's...well. It makes sense. 

So he's going to take it. He's thought about it, and Bones does that thing where he just looks unhappy and disappointed in the decision to be Jim's friend, but eventually decides that if it's what Jim needs to do, then it's the right move. 

Jim's not sure that he needs to do it, is the thing. Pike needs an ally, and it'd be nice to have someone who could maybe influence things on the ground, but it's not necessary. Then again, joining Starfleet wasn't _necessary_ \--if Pike hadn't been there that night, Jim would still be rotting in Iowa. He's one of those people who's not really ambitious without a set goal: he's just been lucky to have people who give him pushes. 

And besides, most of the crew will stay on and whoever takes over his baby will be perfectly competent, or Spock will kill them. 

So he's going to take it. Absolutely.

His door chimes. He glances to make sure he hasn't missed any calls indicating they're having an issue, mostly because they're docking and Sulu can do this in his sleep and resents when people watch over his shoulder.

So Jim is here, in his quarters, packing. Maybe for good. Definitely for good. 

Maybe.

"You are...leaving," Spock says when Jim opens the door. He steps inside and glances around, at the books packed away and the chess pieces strewn across Jim's bed. "You are accepting the promotion." 

"Yeah, well. You don't really turn it down--"

"Yes. You do," Spock argues, and he looks confused, or as confused as Jim has ever seen him. Which was pretty fucking confused, because there'd been that planet with the ogres and they hadn't been at all logical and Spock had pretty much burst like, all the blood vessels in his eyes trying to reason with them. 

It had been frightening and really, really amazing. Bones has pictures.

Huh. He's going to miss that. Of course, maybe the new captain won't let the first mate go down on away missions. Jim didn't really enforce that when they were first starting because he'd been so relieved Spock was on his crew. Then, by the time he realized how stupid it was, Bones was coming down on most of them and so was Scotty, so really, Jim just tried really hard to make sure no one died.

"No, I mean--come on, Spock. How often do we bitch about it? About the way they can't get their shit together and how they--" Jim says, which is such a mistake. Trying to reason with Spock when Jim's not 100% convinced is a sure-fire way to get his ass kicked.

"I was unaware of your interest in politics," Spock says, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, see, there, you go. I am totally interested and you had no idea."

"Yes," Spock agrees after a moment. "That must be it. I apologize, I see your mind is made up." 

The really stupid thing is that that hurts. Because of course Spock is going to be supportive, because Spock is, to everyone's shock, a good friend, and an especially good friend to Jim. It took them a while to get there, and there were a lot of fights and stony silences and shit. Jim worked really hard at this relationship and now Spock's going to have it with whoever replaces Jim. 

But Jim doesn't get to be pissed about that, because this is _his_ decision.

Spock tilts his head. "We will be docked in an hour."

Jim finishes putting his shirt in his rucksack and frowns as the door slides closed.

That was weird, even for Spock. 

*

The meetings are long. First he has to debrief as Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship _Enterprise_ , and then he has to have meetings with the _same people_ as Captain James T. Kirk, prospective Admiral. Which is hilarious, because it's not like he applied for this; they offered it. But now it's the bullshit about them acting like it's some huge favor to him, and Pike keeps telling him to just suck it up, but Jim's about ready to set things on fire.

So when he goes back to his hotel room on the eighth day of this, he's exhausted. He's dreaming of room service, french fries and a lot of mayo, maybe a burger, or pizza, or something else that Bones won't let him eat. It's really pathetic, Jim thinks as he closes the door to his room, how much of his life Bones dictates. He strips out of his uniform, and then heads for the shower. Shower, then room service. Or maybe shower, then nap. This is a five-star hotel: they'll have room service whenever he wants. 

He takes a long, long shower, enjoying the luxury of it, knowing he can turn his skin red and prune his fingers and toes without worrying about Scotty's accusing eyes when he talks about water usage. 

He's just crawling into the bed when there's a knock at the door.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he groans, getting out of the bed again. His body feels really, really heavy. "Someone had better be on fire or fucking dying, because I swear..."

He yanks the door open.

"Spock," he says, blinking in the light of the hallway. He leans against the doorframe, glancing down the hall. "What's up?"

Spock has his hands clasped behind his back, and he's still in uniform. Which is weird, because he's on leave, and Jim knows for a fact that Spock likes to get out of the uniform as fast as he can. Something about mental divisions of time as delineated by articles of clothing, Jim doesn't really care. 

"I thought I should tell you before Admiral Pike contacts you," Spock says. "I did not give you a full endorsement." 

Jim frowns at him. He'd thought they were past this bullshit of Spock undermining Jim at _every fucking turn_. Actually, he didn't even know they'd contacted Spock, but-- "Okay."

"Perhaps this is not a conversation we should have in the hall," Spock says, and Jim rolls his eyes but steps back and lets him in. Spock seems to fade into the shadows: it's a neat trick when you're on stake-out or ambushed in the dark and everyone seems to miss Spock until he starts hitting things. 

It's not so neat right now: Jim can't see his face. Not that it'll help, this is clearly one of those moods where Spock is going to pretend to be emotionless. Fine. Great.

"I was almost asleep," Jim says as the silence stretches. "And if this is you--"

"You are ill-suited to a life on the ground," Spock interrupts, clipped. 

Jim stares at him. "What?"

"You would be a poor admiral. You have no patience, no respect for the institution and you would be bored."

"Did you say all of this?" Because fine, yes, Spock is absolutely brutal in his honesty, but Jim's pretty sure his mom had drilled tact into him as a kid. Jim'd hate to have to beat the lessons back into him, mostly because he hasn't, in ten years, ever managed to get one up on Spock. It's really embarrassing. 

"No."

Jim sits on the bed and runs a hand through his hair. "Spock, if there's a point I'd love to hear it." 

"You are an excellent captain."

Jim doesn't blush at that because he's not thirteen and Spock isn't the pretty boy in class smiling at him. He's thirty-three, so he raises his eyebrows and tries to _stare_ the point out of Spock. 

It's hopeless, Spock will get to it when he wants to get to it, not a second before, because he's a contrary fucking asshole. 

"Yeah, I know," Jim says, when it's clear that Spock wasn't just saying that, he wanted a response. 

Jim thinks Spock is giving him a baleful look, but it's hard to tell in the dim light. He glances at the switch, but stays still. 

"I am not comfortable taking over the ship."

"...Okay. Sulu could--"

"Is also not interested."

"You realize that if you all refuse they'll just get someone else? Shirley, maybe, or Oakes." Jim bites his lip thinking about it. Shirley would be a bad choice: Spock would walk all over him, but Oakes could handle it. She's tough. Although he might have heard something about her being assigned to the _Roosevelt_ , so she might be out. Who was that other one, with the black hair and blue skin? She had the Andorian mother and was a fantastic fuck. Not that he's basing his recommendation on how she was in bed, but if he was she'd get aces anyway--

"You should not leave."

"What?" Jim demanded. "You had better be fucking kidding me--" 

Sometimes having a conversation with Spock is just like running in a circle until Jim's too dizzy to keep it up anymore. 

"I am not."

"Spock, the decision is all-but made, if there was a time to voice an objection--"

"I attempted to before we docked, but you would not hear me--"

"You didn't say a thing!"'

"I do not understand why this is not obvious to you."

"This is important. As a captain I'm replaceable--"

"You are not."

"--but as an admiral I can help you with the bullshit you're always--"

"Do you remember when you were trying to persuade me to join the crew of the _Enterprise_?" 

Does he--Jim has _nightmares_ about that month. He'd never wooed anyone so assiduously in his fucking life, and he hadn't even gotten laid. 

"Yeah, Spock. I remember that." 

He had been wracking his brain, trying to get all of the tactical, concrete reasons why Spock should join, and then he'd tried emotion, and then he'd just gone for manipulation and called in Spock's alternate version of himself. Jim hasn't once won a physical fight with Spock, but Jim hasn't ever lost when he needed to win, either. 

Jim doesn't know if Spock knows he did that. Jim's never fought fair. He'd be kind of surprised if Spock expected him to, at this point. 

"Do you not think it strange, then, that our positions are altered?" Spock asks, standing at Jim's window and looking out at the city. San Francisco is beautiful at night, Jim spares a moment to think, but it's never felt like home.

"Are they?" Jim asks. 

"I am asking you to reconsider."

"At 0200."

"I do not understand why the time is relevant, but--"

"Spock," Jim groans, falling back onto the bed and scrubbing at his face with his hands. 

"Stay." Spock says it so quietly it's almost like he doesn't want Jim to hear it, but Jim pulls himself up onto his elbows and stares. Spock doesn't--Spock doesn't ask for things like this. 

Jesus fucking Christ, Pike is going to tear Jim a new asshole.

"Spock..."

Spock tilts his head, lifts his eyebrow, but he's looking at Jim, now. "Yes?"

"There are other exceptional captains." He doesn't even sound like he's fighting right now. Maybe he didn't actually want to win this fight. 

"Yes," Spock agrees, and he sounds so fucking smug. "But they are not you. Lt. Scott is planning a brunch at his apartment tomorrow, we can tell them then." 

"Oh, can we?"

"Good night, Captain. I will collect you at 0900." 

"You're a fucking asshole, Spock," Jim tells him.

"That is demonstrably false," Spock said. "But if tenses and clauses were rearranged, perhaps the subject would merit discussion."

Jim stares at the door for a long time after Spock's closed it behind him. Because Jim has had a lot of people hit on him, and that was--that was Spock being sure he has Jim. And Jim is...really okay with that.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Blanket Permission:** go ahead and translate, make podfic, rework the fic, or do whatever other transformative work you can think of. If the work is hosted on another site, drop me a comment or email and I'll put a link in the story notes!
> 
> [twitter:](https://twitter.com/waldorph) for unfiltered me || [tumblr:](http://waldorph.tumblr.com/) less about me, more about the pretty gifsets and art


End file.
